At Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 31, 2026, Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed lbw by New Zealand A pacer Fraser Sheat for a four-ball duck off the very first over of India A's innings in the second unofficial Test. It was a damaging blow to India A's top order, and it extended Jaiswal's troubling run without a significant score in red-ball cricket.
The 24-year-old's early dismissal for a duck marked his fourth scoreless outing across nine innings since the Sri Lanka tour in August 2026, raising questions about his form ahead of India's senior series against New Zealand. However, Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings with a 91-run second-wicket partnership.
Padikkal scored 80 off 140 deliveries, while Sudharsan contributed 41 off 63 balls. Captain Dhruv Jurel then led the recovery with an unbeaten 99, supported by Akash Deep, who remained not out on 25. At stumps on Day 1, India A had reached 291/7 in 88 overs after New Zealand A opted to bowl first
New Zealand had won the toss and elected to field, setting the conditions for Jaiswal's early dismissal at the top of the order.
How has Jaiswal's red-ball form looked since August 2026?
Jaiswal's lean patch in the longer format dates back to India's tour of Sri Lanka. He registered a duck in the second innings of the first Test at Galle, and across three innings in the drawn Sri Lanka series he managed only 77 runs in total. Before that Test series even began, he had fallen for a duck against the SLC XI in a warm-up practice match.
Back home in October 2026, Jaiswal scored a 13-ball duck for Mumbai against Chandigarh in the Ranji Trophy, adding another failure to a growing list. In the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A last week, he managed scores of 17 and 5, offering little reassurance ahead of the senior assignment. Across nine innings in this difficult stretch, he has not managed a half-century in red-ball cricket since August 2026.
What is at stake for Jaiswal with the senior NZ Tests approaching?
The senior India Test series against New Zealand is scheduled to begin at Basin Reserve in Wellington on November 19, 2026, making Jaiswal's current form a pressing concern for selectors. The India A squad, which includes Jaiswal alongside Padikkal, Sudharsan and captain Dhruv Jurel, is playing three unofficial Tests against New Zealand A between October 24 and November 10, 2026.
Adding to the pressure, Jaiswal was included in India's ODI squad for the series against West Indies in October 2026 but did not get a game across all three matches. He has also been left out of the five-match ODI squad for the New Zealand series beginning in Auckland on November 4. The combination of limited white-ball opportunities and a string of red-ball failures makes his second-innings performance in Christchurch a significant moment in his preparation for the Tests at Wellington.
